Keys with rotating heads and method of making same



P 1970 J. D. HERRINGTON 3,526,112

KEYS WITH ROTATING HEADS AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed March 27. 1968 [ma/e5 Z ,F/GUKE s y mvavmz United States Patent M 3,526,112 KEYS WITH ROTATING HEADS AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Jack D. Herrington, 5741 Monterrey Road, Fort Worth, TeX. 76101 Filed Mar. 27, 1968, Ser. No. 716,574 Int. Cl. E05b 19/04 U.S. Cl. 70- 395 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is concerned with the provision of a novel key with a rotating head designed in such manner that by moving the head the finished key can be attached to, or removed from, a key holder, independent of any key attachment device the holder may contain, and so that the key is of minimum size when the head is in closed position and attached to the key holder but when opened and disengaged from the keyholder, provides a wider head to serve as an operating handle for the key. In addition, the invention contemplates two different methods of making and assembling the key: one of complete manufacture and full assembly for supply for key copying; another for manufacture and supply of the key in two or more parts for assembly by the key copier.

Under the best circumstances the carrying of keys is a nuisance. As the number of keys an individual must carry increases, the attendant problems increase. It is not uncommon for an individual to carry eight or more keys for easy access to his home, garage, place of work, automobiles and other articles or places that must be secured by locks.

Conventional keys and holders result in a very bulky apparatus to be carried by the individual. The problem is further complicated by the fact that it is often necessary to remove a single key from the holder for use by someone else. This is a daily occurrence for many people who leave their automobile in a parking garage with an attendant but need their other keys for access to an office, residence or for other purposes. It is typically either awk ward and difficult to remove a single key from the key holder or the device making possible easy removal of a single key adds to the bulky key carrying apparatus with which the individual must contend.

In addition to the lock actuating portion of conventional keys, additional size and weight is made up in providing a head to act as an operating handle. The problems of weight and size can be improved by eliminating the head from keys. A headless key can serve effectively in actuating a lock if rigidly attached to similar headless keys or a key case that can serve as an operating handle for turning the key. A single, unattached, headless key is, however, very difiicult to turn and quite ineffective. In addition, the problem of removing a single headless key from a key holder is no less complicated than for conventional keys.

As a further complication, as the number of keys that an individual must carry increases, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish one key from another. To aid in resolving this problem, conventional keys are available that have been surface treated in color variations to make possible a different color for each key. Since the key copier must have a full supply of key blanks for all types of keys in each color for the purchaser to have full color selection, the number of colors normally available to the purchaser is quite limited and the key copier must maintain an oversupply of key blanks to provide even the limited color choice that is available. Materials that are surface treated with color commonly used for 3,526,112 Patented Sept. 1, 1970 colored keys tends to scratch but materials of integral color are not always suitable for the lock operation function that keys must perform. It follows, therefore, that materials with surface color treatment are generally used for key blanks and these tend to become scratched and unsightly.

While there is presently no prospect that key carrying can soon be eliminated, my invention is designed to alleviate some of the problems inherent in conventional keys, headless keys and key carrying devices. A key case for carrying the keys contemplated by this invention is fully disclosed and described in a copending application, Ser. No. 716,608, filed on Mar. 27, 1968. In the copending application is described a novel key case with a fixed key support shaft that, in combination with the present invention, provides minimum bulk with maximum utility.

This invention provides the following advantages over conventional keys:

(1) Individual keys of the subject invention are less bulky, having a key head in closed position that is substantially smaller than conventional key heads.

(2) Each individual key envisioned by this invention can be attached to or removed from a key case by the simple act of rotating the head of the key.

(3) The key head of the subject invention can be manufactured from a different material than the rest of the key. This makes possible the choice of a material suitable for the head that might not also be appropriate for the lock actuating portion of the key. This added flexibility of choice adds to the possibility of selecting a material of integral, infinite color variations for the head and a color free lock actuating portion of the key. By permitting assembly of the head to the key by the key copier, many different color choices can be given the purchaser while requiring no larger supply of key blanks for the lock actuating portion of the key than would be required of the key copier for conventional uncolored keys.

This invention has advantages over headless keys, in addition to those described in 2 and 3 above, in that when the head of an individual key is in the open position, it forms a handle for turning the lock actuating portion of the key, while in the closed position is only slightly larger than the minimum size possible for a headless key.

Other advantages, objects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a considration of the following specifications and attached drawings.

On the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged, exploded, isometric drawing of the key;

FIG. 2 is a section through the rotating head of the y;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a typical key with head removed;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the assembled key in closed position;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a typical assembled key with the head in closed position;

FIG. 6 is a side View of a typical assembled key with the head in open position;

FIG. 7 is an isometric drawing of a typical assembled key with the head in closed position;

FIG. 8 is an isometric drawing of a typical assembled key with the head in open position;

FIG. 9 is an enlargement of that portion of the plan of the key encircled in FIG. 4.

As shown on the drawings:

The scale of FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 is approximately /2 larger than actual. FIG. 1 is approximately twice actual scale and FIG. 9 is approximately 4 times larger than actual scale.

All of the drawings where the lock actuating part of 3 the key can be seen in side view, FIGS. 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8, illustrate the lock actuating part of the key in finished form-that is after the copying process by the key copier.

The exploded view of the key shown in FIG. 1 illustrates how parts of the key fit together. The head holder 9 part of the key is narrower in thickness than the lock actuating part of the key 2 to accommodate the head 1 in such manner that when assembled as shown in FIG. 7 the thickness of the key at the head 1 is as thin as possible in terms of the materials used for its construction. As illustrated in FIG. 1 the slotted bushing 4 fits inside the hole 5 in the head holder 9 portion of the key in such manner as to be freely turnable. Few assembly techniques likely to be used in manufacture of the key would have the head 1 split as shown in FIG. 1 and yet this illustrates the proper relationship of the slot 8 in the head 1, slot 6 in the bushing 4 and slot 7 in the head holder 9 when the key is assembled with the head 1 in closed position as shown in FIG. 7. The bushing 4 becames part of the head 1 in its assembled form and the entire head 1 with the bushing 4 located inside hole 5 of the head holder 9 can rotate freely back and forth from the closed position illustrated by FIGS. 5 and 7 to the open position illustrated by FIGS. 6 and 8.

The lock actuating portion of the key 2 as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, is no different than the lock actuating portion of a conventional key. This invention envisions no substantial change in the established art of key duplication. It is anticipated that the lock actuating portion of the key 2 will be manufactured in the various key blank forms typically used by the key copier in duplicating keys. The key copier will employ the same equipment and techniques in duplicating the lock actuating portion of this key 2 as is done in duplicating a conventional key.

Other portions of this invention are, however, substantially different than any other key. The basic difference in this key centers about the rotating head. Its features are illustrated by FIGS. 7 and 8. In FIG. 7 the head 1 is in closed position. With the head in this position the key is of minimum size and will normally be attached to a key holder using the built-in attachment mechanism more fully described in specifications which follow. FIG. 8 illustrates the key with the head 1 in open position. With the head in this position the key can be detached from the keyholder and the extended head forms an operating handle to turn the lock actuating portion of the key 2. The head holder 9, to which the head 1 is attached, is visible in this view but can be seen more clearly in FIGS. 1 and 3.

The key support element of a keyholder is typically a screw type rod, a ring, spring catch or other device which can be separated to permit keys to be attached by slipping the key support element through holes in the keys. The key envisioned by this invention contains its own attachment device for attaching the key to the key support element of a key holder. FIGS. 5 and 6 provide an illustration of how by rotating the head 1 the key can be attached to, or removed from, a keyholder. In FIG. 6 the head is in open position and the key support element of the keyholder can be slipped into the slot formed by aligning slot 7 of the head holder 9 and slots 8 of the head 1 of which slot 6 of the bushing 4 is a part. With the key support element situated in slot 6, the head 1 is rotated by exerting pressure, at the point and in the direction of the arrow illustrated, to the closed position as illustrated by FIG. 5. With the head 1 in closed position, slot 7 of the head holder 9 is no longer aligned with slots 6 and 8 of the bushing 4 and head 1, respectively. With the head 1 in closed position, the key is securely attached to the key support element of the keyholder which passes through the hole in the bushing 4 of head 1 at slot 6.

In order to hold the head 1 in either the closed or open position until a change in position is desired, provision has been made for two slight protrusions in the form of 4 bumps 3 located, as can be seen in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and most clearly in FIG. 9, on the interior side of a portion of the head 1 extending beyond the head holder 9. The material used in constructing the head 1 must he basically rigid but sufficiently elastic that when slightly bent by pressure will repeatedly return to its original posi tion. In FIG. 5, as pressure is exerted on the head 1 at the point and in the direction indicated by the arrow, the head 1 rotates and bumps 3 are pushed onto the surface of the head holder 9, causing the material of the head 1 to bend slightly. As the head 1 is rotated to the position indicated in FIG. 6, the bumps 3 slip off of the key head holder 9, and the head returns to its original shape. By applying pressure at the point and in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 6, the process described above is reversed and the head 1 is again moved to the closed position indicated by FIG. 5. An alternative method of holding the head in .open or closed position can be achieved by strategically locating bumps on the head holder 9 and locating indentions, corresponding with the shape of the bumps in the head 1. By arranging the bumps and indentions so that they meet when the head 1 is in open or closed position a similar result to that shown can be achieved. Further, while the preferred arrangement is as indicated, a single bump can be used if desired, with similar results.

Manufacture of the key envisoned by this invention may be accomplished in two basically different ways:

(1) The key blank may be fully assembled as shown in FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8 in its original manufacture and may be employed for key duplication in this assembled form. In producing a fully assembled key blank, the lock actuating portion of the key 2 with its head holder 9, similar to FIG. 3, would first be constructed. Then, the head 1 may be manufactured and assembled by: (a) molding it in place on the head holder 9 portion of the key blank; or (b) attaching together two parts of a separated head 1, as illustrated in FIG. 2, located on either side of the head holder 9, with bushing 4 inside hole 5, using a process of pressure, heat, adhesive or other method as may be appropriate for the materials used.

(2) The key may be manufactured in two or more parts, as example: (a) As a separate, fully assembled rotating head, secured to the head holder 9 by its bushing 4, to be later attached to a separate lock actuating portion of a key 2 by welding, adhesive and/ or mechanically; or, (b) With the key blank to produce the lock actuating portion of the key 2 with its head holder 9, as shown in FIG. 3; the bushing 4, as shown in FIG. 1; and the head 1 (with bushing 4 removed) as shown in FIG. 1 but fully assembled. The three parts thus manufactured may be made available for assembly at the time of key duplication. Assembly is accomplished b locating bushing 4 inside hole 5 of the head holder 9, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3; by then slipping the head 1 over the head holder 9, as shown in FIG. 6, with bushing 4 in place; next, aligning the slots 6, '7 and 8 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 and securing bushing 4 to head 1 using a process of pressure, heat, adhesive or other method as may be appropriate for the materials employed.

While the principal use of the attachment device is contemplated for key attachment to the key support element of a key holder, it can also be used to attach a fingernail file, knife, or similar item to the key support element of a key holder. This can be accomplished by providing an extension of the item to be attached shaped like the head holder 9, as illustrated in FIG. 3. The head 1 would then be attached as previously described.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction, embodiments and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A key comprising an actuating portion and a relatively thin head holder portion with a hole in said head holder portion, a bushing rotatively mounted in said hole, a head with side faces of less width than length fixed to said bushing and rotatively mounted on said head holder portion, said head forming a sleeve over the side faces of said head holder portion, the overall thickness of the head holder portion and the rotatable head being approximately the same as said actuating portion.

2. A rotating head for a key, as in claim 1, having as part of the said rotating head a bushing rotating inside a hole in the head holder and located off-center of the long dimension of the said side faces of the said head holder and nearer the top than the bottom of the said rotating head; said rotating head forming a sleeve encompassing the two side faces and one edge of the said head holder of the said key and in closed position having the longer side of the face of the said rotating head located parallel with and above the long dimension of the lock actuating part of the said key and creating an apparently headless key, so that when the said rotating head is rotated to open position the rotating head extends beyond the head holder due to the oil-center location ofthe said bushing to form a 'wider head for the said key, creating a handle for turning the lock actuating portion of the said key.

3. A key with a rotating head, as in claim 1, that in open position provides an alignment of slots in the said rotating head, the head holder and the said rotating heads bushing to make possible the positioning of the key support element of a key holder in a single slot formed by the alignment of the before mentioned rotating head and head holder slots, and that by rotating the said rotating head to the closed position the said key support element of the key holder will be retained Within an enclosure formed when in this position the said slots of the said rotating head and its bushing are no longer aligned with the said slot of the said head holder, thereby securing the key to the keyholder until such time as it is released by reversing the procedure hereinbefore described.

4. A rotating head for a key, as in claim 1, that is held in one fixed position through the application of bumps and indentions on the said rotating head with its bushing, and the head holder, arranged so that said bumps match said matching indentions when the said rotating head and said head holder are related to each other as desired to be held in fixed position and with either the said bumps or the said indentions located on an elastic part of the said head holder or said rotating head with the other converse matching bumps or indentions located on a nonelastic part of the said head holder or said rotating head, so arranged that when appropriate pressure is applied in the proper direction the said elastic part is stressed and deformed, permitting the said matching bumps and indentions to become disengaged until the said head holder is rotated to the point where other converse matching bumps or indentions receives the said bumps or indentions that are part of the said rotating head, at which point the said elastic part may return to its original unstressed shape, holding the said head holder and said rotating head in proper and desired fixed position until appropriate pressure in the appropriate, opposite direction is applied to again stress the elastic part so that the said bumps and converse indentions no longer match and rotation of the said rotating head is again possible.

5. A rotating head for a key, as in claim 2, with an indention in the edge of the head holder that is not encompassed by the said rotating head when it is in closed position and with the open edges of the said rotating head extending over the indented area of the said head holder so that when pressure is applied against the said open edge of the said rotating head at the point of the said indention in the said head holder the said rotating head is caused to move toward its open position.

6. A key with a head, as in claim 1, with the head holder of lesser thickness than the lock actuating portion of the said key and in apprapriate shape to accommodate the rotating head so that minimum total thickness, in terms of the materials being used, is obtained at the head portion of the said key.

7. A rotating head for a key, as in claim 1, that is attached to a key formed to contain a head holder with a hole designed to accept the bushing of the said rotating head and the securing of said rotating head to its bushing through the use of molding pressure, welding, adhesive and/or mechanical device.

8. A fully assembled head for a key containing a rotat ing head, bushing and head holder, as in claim 1, that is secured to the lock actuating portion of a key by Welding, adhesive/ or mechanical device.

9. An assembled head for a key, complete with rotating head and head holder, as in claim 3, that is secured to an object other than a key, such as a fingernail file or knife blade, to make possible the attachment of the said object to a key holder in the same manner as a key with a similarly constructed head.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,743,563 1/1930 Montouri 63-15 1,800,843 4/ 1931 Moulton -456 2,633,012 3/1953 Johnston 70-408 2,653,492 9/1953 Abrams 76-110 2,790,319 4/ 1957 Brunner 70-45 6 2,795,128 6/1957 Ly 70-456 2,982,454 5/ 1961 Wolberg 2245 3,313,135 4/1967 Reisner 70-408 3,349,589 10/1967 Fricke 70-395 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner R. L. WOLFE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R, 70 08 

